Increasing Social Connectedness for Underserved Older Adults Living With Depression: A Pre-Post Evaluation of PEARLS

Steinman, Lesley; Parrish, Amanda T.; Mayotte, Caitlin; Acevedo, Perla Bravo; Torres, Eva; Markova, M. V.; Boddie, Margaret; Lachenmayr, Sue; Montoya, C Nohelia; Parker, L. Lynette; Conton-Pelaez, Edrei; Silsby, Joscelyn; Snowden, Mark

doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2020.10.005

Cited by 21 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Interestingly, caregivers providing care to someone in active treatment were more likely to report higher social connectedness, compared to those whose care recipient was not receiving treatment. This finding is consistent with a recent study of older adults with depression, that reported increased social connectedness in respondents who were caregivers compared to those who were not [ 41 ]. There is the possibility that caregivers in the current study perceived increased closeness with their care recipient, and/or increased their interaction with supportive health providers and community when their care recipient was in active treatment, which increased their perception of connectedness with others.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

The Relationship between Cancer Caregiver Burden and Psychological Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Social Connectedness

Yuen

Wilson

2021

Current Oncology

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The present study: (a) examined the extent of caregiver burden and psychological wellbeing and (b) tested whether social connectedness moderated the association between caregiver burden and psychological symptoms in caregivers of people with cancer. The cross-sectional survey study included 189 cancer caregivers (mean age = 36.19 years, standard deviation = 11.78; 80.4% female). Data were collected on caregiver burden, social connectedness, and depression and anxiety. Moderation analysis was conducted to examine the effect of social connectedness on the relationship between caregiver burden and depression and anxiety. Caregiver burden was positively associated with depression and anxiety symptoms. Controlling for significant demographic and caregiver characteristics, the moderation model showed as perceived social connectedness increased, the relationship between caregiver burden and depression decreased (β = −0.007, se = 0.004, 95% CI: −0.014, 0.000, p = 0.05). By contrast, social connectedness did not moderate the association between caregiver burden and anxiety. Findings have implications for the management of depression in cancer caregivers. Social connectedness appears to provide a protective buffer from the negative impacts of caregiving, providing increased psychological resources to manage the burden associated with caregiving, resulting in lower depression. Research on strategies to improve caregiver wellbeing through enhancing engagement with social networks in ways that improve perceived sense of connectedness with others is warranted.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

The Relationship between Cancer Caregiver Burden and Psychological Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Social Connectedness

Yuen

Wilson

2021

Current Oncology

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“…COVID-19 can bring such preexisting injuries into sharper focus and/or directly invoke their isolating effects ( Ogrodniczuk, Rice, et al, 2021 ). Our finding contrasts with recent reports that in mixed-sex and older samples, living alone moderates the association between low social connectedness and high psychological distress ( Gyasi et al, 2019 ; Steinman et al, 2021 ). Although demographic differences likely explain this difference, the current findings suggest men’s external work and recreational activities (i.e., outside of the domestic sphere) constitute primary social connectors and the COVID-19 restrictions imposed (along with desires to protect others) have significant impacts on men’s psychological distress regardless of the presence of others in their home environment.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Social Disconnection and Psychological Distress in Canadian Men During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly challenged many men’s mental health. Efforts to control the spread of the virus have led to increasing social disconnection, fueling concerns about its long-term effects on men’s mental health, and more specifically their experience of psychological distress. Social disconnection, psychological distress, and the relationship between them have yet to be formally explored in a Canadian male sample during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study examined whether reduced social connection among men was associated with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms (psychological distress) and whether this association was moderated by living alone. The sample consisted of 434 help-seeking Canadian men who completed standardized measures. Analyses controlled for the potentially confounding effects of age and fear of COVID-19. Findings revealed that less social connection was associated with increased psychological distress. This association was not moderated by living alone, nor was living alone directly associated with psychological distress. Younger age and fear of COVID-19 were each independently associated with psychological distress. Socially disconnected men were more likely to experience anxiety and depressive symptoms, suggesting the need for interventions focussed on men’s social connectedness, social support, and belongingness to help reduce some COVID-19-induced mental health risks.

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“…Findings also indicate that interviewees lived with families and could maintain social connectedness during the pandemic. Older adults can and do avoid isolation and loneliness and reduce health anxiety during the pandemic through receiving necessary emotional, financial, or other support from important social connections with families, friends, and neighbors ( 28 , 64 , 65 ). Moreover, these findings are consistent with existing ones that demonstrate that, with the assistance of ICTs, older adults can get timely health information and other health-promoting resources from robust connections ( 16 , 54 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Has the Nationwide Public Health Emergency of the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Older Chinese Adults' Health Literacy, Health Behaviors and Practices, and Social Connectedness? Qualitative Evidence From Urban China

Chai

2022

Front. Public Health

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Older Chinese adults' daily lives have been affected significantly during the outbreak phase of the COVID-19 pandemic since January 2020. They were confronted with activity restrictions due to strict pandemic prevention. The older population also had to get accustomed to widely-used modern technologies in community management, such as health codes and WeChat groups. By late 2021, mainland China had reduced the prevalence of COVID-19, and people's daily lives had primarily returned to pre-pandemic normality. Under China's systematic health management during the pandemic, older Chinese adults' responses to this nationwide public health emergency may have influenced their health in the long run. However, it remains unclear what specific health changes or improvements have occurred. Such a void in the literature is worrying, given that older adults are at high health risks due to the pandemic which, might still be with humankind for a while. Thus, it is of necessity to explore and report their health changes after this official, large-scale health intervention. In this study, 17 adults aged 55 and above were recruited as interviewees. All interviewees reside in a community located in Q district, N city of the People's Republic of China. According to the findings, many interviewees now have better literacy in health risk prevention. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) play a significant role in getting access to health information. Specifically, television, WeChat chatting groups, and TikTok could be valuable information sources for older adults. As for the understanding and evaluation of health information, although older participants can distinguish COVID-19 rumors, they may sometimes feel confused about the underlying scientific logic. Regarding changes in health behaviors and practices, many older adults can integrate health information and knowledge into their daily lives. Additionally, although interviewees can keep important social connections, not all of them are familiar with using new ICTs, such as online chatting group, for social participation and engagement. The empirical evidence suggests that both the communities and the local governments can offer specific training programs to older residents for the sake of enhancing their health literacy, health behaviors and practices, and social connectedness during and after the pandemic.

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Increasing Social Connectedness for Underserved Older Adults Living With Depression: A Pre-Post Evaluation of PEARLS

Cited by 21 publications

References 42 publications

The Relationship between Cancer Caregiver Burden and Psychological Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Social Connectedness

The Relationship between Cancer Caregiver Burden and Psychological Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Social Connectedness

Social Disconnection and Psychological Distress in Canadian Men During the COVID-19 Pandemic

How Has the Nationwide Public Health Emergency of the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Older Chinese Adults' Health Literacy, Health Behaviors and Practices, and Social Connectedness? Qualitative Evidence From Urban China

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